1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a wire harness connector with a function of detecting incomplete or erroneous locking of the connector, which can be suitably used for making connections in electric wiring of an automobile air bag system or the like, and to a device for automatically checking for erroneous or incomplete locking of such connectors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the devices which directly concern the safety of human life like automobile air bag systems, occurrences of incomplete locking of connectors or contact failures between male and female terminal elements are not permissible.
From this point of view, Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Application 61-169974 discloses a harness connector which has a function of detecting incompletely locked connector conditions as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. In these figures, indicated at M is a male conector housing which is provided with a locking arm 1 with a projection 1a, and at F is a female housing which is provided with a locking projection 2. Fitted in these male and female housings M and F are a plural number of pairs of conducting female and male terminal elements 3 and 4 which are anchored in the respective compartments 5 and 6 by means of anchor arms 7 and 8, respectively. Of the plural number of pairs of female and male terminal elements 3 and 4, at least one pair of female and male terminals which are indicated at 3.sub.1 and 3.sub.2 are provided with bent portions 9 and 9' at the respective fore ends to serve as short-circuiting terminals (male terminals) for detection of an incompletely locked state. The bent portions 9 and 9' are brought into face-to-face contact with each other only when the female and male housings F and M are coupled with each other completely, namely, only when the two housings are coupled with each other completely until the projection 1a on the locking arm 1 is interlocked with the locking projection 2, whereupon current is conducted through wires W and W' connected to the short-circuiting terminals 3.sub.1 and 3.sub.2 thereby to check for incomplete locking.
As described above, the prior art connector is constructed in such a manner as to bring the bent portions 9 and 9' of the short-circuiting terminals 3.sub.1 and 3.sub.2 into face-to-face contact with each other in the coupling direction of the two housings F and M. However, considering the need for providing a play c (a gap space) between the projection 1a of the locking arm 1 and the locking projection 2 which constitute the locking means, there are possibilities of contact failures or conduction failures due to relative staggering mvoements of the two housings F and M or of the terminal elements 3.sub.1 and 3.sub.2 anchored in the compartments 5 and 6 or due to disengagement of or insufficient contact pressure on the bent portions 9 and 9'. Such unstable situations also occur when either one of the short-circuiting terminals 3.sub.1 and 3.sub.2 is fitted in a tilted posture or when the bent portion 9 or 9' is deformed.